Macbeth – William Shakespeare

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Question 36 of Locke’s Swan crossword is “Macbeth’s place.” He answers “Iona.” This confused me when I saw it, because I assumed his place was Elsinore (the castle named in the play). Locke’s answer could still be correct, I learned through some research, since Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, king of Scotland, is buried there and Shakespeare’s Macbeth was inspired by him.

Thoughts:

It’s near Halloween, so it’s time for a good ghost story, and this is one of the great ones, filled with ambition, revenge, witches, and plenty of blood and death. It may bother some people, as it does me, that both main characters are killed offstage, but there are reasons for this. For Macbeth’s death, at least, we have to accept the limitations of the stage. He’s beheaded, after all, and this would be technically difficult to carry out. And the play has enough going for it to overlook this point (and the bit where Shakespeare sucks up to King James by implying that he’s descended from Banquo). Macbeth’s as thoughtful as Shakespeare gets but short enough to hold even a modern audience’s attention (it’s his shortest tragedy). And enough of that time is taken up with fighting and with the supernatural that most people should be satisfied. I know I am.

Fans of the mysterious will also love this play because it carries its own superstitions. Never mention the name “Macbeth” inside a theater, unless you want a load of folks mad at you. Supposedly, it brings bad luck and accidents. (Try saying “the Scottish play” or another indirect reference instead.) So, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, And a parting quotation:

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

The Glass Menagerie – Tennessee Williams

Rating: 2/5

Lost References:

When studying screencaps, I found this book on Ben’s shelf near VALIS.

Thoughts:

There’s barely a plot, and it tries too hard to be artsy. (The premise is that the narrator is looking at the events through the distorting lens of memory, so that’s an excuse for weird proportions, lighting, pictures, etc.) Yes, the kids have parental issues like every single character on Lost, but that tiny little connection doesn’t help.

Julius Caesar – William Shakespeare

Rating: 5/5

Lost References:

Sawyer says “You too, Brutus,” to Locke, a translation of Caesar’s famous “Et tu, Brute” to Brutus. And the sentiment is echoed throughout Lost as everyone double-crosses each other. For one, a character named Caesar is killed by someone he thinks is a friend.

Thoughts:

I wonder why this play’s listed with the tragedies and not the histories. Yes, it’s tragic, but it’s based on real people and events, and I think that trumps it. I understand the man did his research by reading Brutus’s section in Plutarch’s Lives. Having read PL, I can at least confirm that they’re pretty similar, and to my mind, both enjoyable. But of course, Shakespeare’s play has more life and much, much more dialogue. That’s what plays are: mostly dialogue. Anyway, I have to say, I loved this play. Shakespeare does what he does best, and that’s characters. He fleshes out people and their motivations and manages to keep the plot going. If there’s one thing I have to say against the play, the beginning of Act IV does lag a bit. Just after Caesar dies and before everyone gets into the battles, the characters have some down time. Other than that: brilliant. Also, the best interpretation of a Shakespeare character I’ve ever seen is James Mason’s Brutus in the 1953 film of this play.

Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare

Rating: 3/5

Lost References:

Eloise calls Daniel a Romeo because she thinks he’s hitting on her right after declaring his love for Charlotte. In her defense, she didn’t know he was her son. Plus, sorry, Daniel, but you did act a little Romeo-esque when you threw over Theresa for Charlotte. On a romantic tangent that is acceptable only because I’m reviewing Romeo and Juliet… did anyone else notice that in everyone’s happy little purgatory, everyone paired off with their Island flings instead of their long-term romances. Daniel thought Charlotte was his one true love… Sayid met Nadia in the afterlife. (Remember? The woman he grew up with, shot his commanding officer to rescue, spent years trying to find again, married, and lost tragically?) But he went with Shannon instead. It makes no sense, but end of tangent.

Thoughts:

Okay, so Romeo’s in love with a girl. She won’t have him. He goes to a party and instantly falls for someone else, and for some reason, she loves him back. They never seem to go deeper than a mutual admiration for each other’s looks. When they later think the other has died, both kill themselves. Juliet was right, but even so… Overreacting much? The simple fact of the matter is that I can not respect either of these kids. What was Shakespeare thinking? I mean, the rest of the play was fine. The whole thing was even well-written, but I’ll admit here that I’m a huge Shakespeare fan and therefore biased. It’s just not his best work. Probably the worst of his famous ones. But it just happens to work in context, though not for the reason Eloise thinks.